Station-indicator



(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 1'. J. I. IRVING.

STATION INDICATOR;

No. 393,237. Patented Nov. 20. 1888.

N, PETERS. PhdoLnhcgnphun'Mllshinginlv. D, C.

(No Model.) 8 2 S'hets-Sheet 2.

, J. I. IRVING.

STATION INDICATOR.

No. 393,237. Patented Nov. 20, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

JASON I. IRVING, OFSAN FRANCISCO, GALIFORNIA.

STATION-=INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,237, dated November20, 1888.

Application filed July 5, 1888.

Y able display matter in connection therewith.

My invention consists in a rotary shaft by which the motion is impartedor transmitted to a suitable indicating mechanism, said shaft beingactuated by a spring, a stop for limiting the motion of the shaft, anovel trip for relieving the shaft and rendering its motion periodical,an electric circuit normally open, and an electro-magnet in said circuitfor operating the trip, a circuit-closer, and a novel mechanism forautomatically condensing the spring which actuates the main shaft, allof which, together with details of construction and arrangement, I shallhereinafter fully describe.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effectivestation-indicator.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevationshowing the application of my device to a car. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the mechanism within the box A.

A is a box or case, which is to be supported in the carin the properposition and provided with a suitable aperture through which theindicating mechanism which is necessary herein to show may be observed.This indicating mechanism may be of any of the wellknown forms-such, forexample, as a traveling ribbon, having upon it the names of the streetsor stations and other matteror a rotary disk, with attached gravitatingplates, it being the office of my invention to furnish the necessarypower by which the movement of the indicating mechanism is effected. Inmy apparatus this movement is effected through a main drive-shaft, B,which is mounted in the box and is adapted to turn in one direction bymeans of a coil-spring, 0. Upon this shaft is secured a large gear, D,which meshes with a pinion, e, on the counter-shaft E, which carries alarger gear, 0', which meshes with a Serial No.279.1l9. (No model.)

pinion, f, on the shaft F, above which said shaft carries an arm, G.Pivoted to the top of the box and hanging downwardly is a lever, H,which is held in position by means of a small spring, h. Upon the leverH is a fixed pin, h, near its lower end, and a little higher andto oneside is a second fixed pin, h and upon the end of the arm G is fixedapin, g, which normally rests in contact with the pin h upon the leverH, this contact of the two pins serving as a complete stop to the wholemechanism, holding the shaft B against the tendency of the spring 0. Totrip the lover, I have the following device:

I is an electro-magnet, andz is its armature, which is secured to thelever H, but is held normally separated from the magnet by the spring ofthe said lever.

J is a battery situated on the floor K of the ear, and j arecircuit-wires from the battery, and which include the electro-magnet.Under the floor K of the car is pivoted a swinging arm, L, which hangsdownwardly, and is adapted to come in contact with a fixed obstruction,Z, which is located in the roadway.

M is a part of the iron frame-work of the car or truck or other ironpiece forming a contact, the circuit -wires being properly connected,one with the swinging arm L and the other with the contact M, said armand contact thus forming the poles of the circuit,which is normally openbecause the arm hangs without touching contact M.

The operation of the mechanism as far as described is as follows: henthe arm L comes in contact with the fixed obstruction in the roadway, itis forced back against and touches the contactpiece M, thereby closingthe circuit. The electro-magnet is thus energized, and, attracting itsarmature i, swings the lever H to one side, thereby withdrawing its pinh from contact with the pin 9 on the arm G. This relieves the entiregear-chain, and the spring 0 on the shaft B acts so as to throw the armG around through a short are, this motion, however, being at oncelimited by the second pin, If, of the lever; but upon the opening of thecircuit again by the passage of the arm L beyond the fixed obstructionthe magnet is de-energized, allowing its armature and lever H to fallaway, thereby withdrawing the pin 7L2 from the path of the i pin 9, andthe arm G thereupon makes a complete or nearly complete revolution,being stopped in its first position by the pin h on the lever H, which,by the falling away of said lever, had come into its first positionagain.

The object of the intervening gear-chain is simply to reduce the motionto accommodate itself to the necessities of a particular indicator towhich the apparatus may be applied, and it is not essential thereforthat the particular gear-chain herein described should be used in everycase. Now, in order to provide for the automatic winding or condensingof the power-spring (l, I have the following: Upon the shaft B isloosely fixed a ratchet, N, to which is attached one end of the springG, and upon the shaft is freely pivoted a lever, O, which carries apawl, 0, engaging with the ratchet N. A spring, 0, holds the lever O inposition. From the other end of this lever extends a cord, I, whichpasses to and is at tached to a drum, Q, from which passes a secondcord, I the other end of which is attached to the swinging arm L,suspended under the car. The drum Q has a spring, g, by which it isreturned to position. Now, when the arm L comes in contact with theobstruction Z and is forced back, as heretofore described, it pulls uponthe cords, thereby turning the lever O, the pawl 0 of which engages theratchet N, and thereby condenses the spring.

The object of the spring-drum Q is to take up the slack of the cords inreturning.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a station-indicator, the shaft B, by which the indicatingmechanism is operated, and a spring tending to turn said shaft in onedirection, in combination with the arm rotated by the shaft, a swinginglever with which said arm comes in contact, thereby holding the shaft, anormally-open electric circuit, a circuit-closer, and an electro-magnetin said circuit for moving the pivoted lever to release the arm when thecircuit is closed, substantially as described.

2. In a station-imlicator, a rotary shaft by which the indicatingmechanism is operated, and a spring tending to return it in onedirection, in combination with an arm rotated by the shaft and having apin, a pivoted lever having a pin with which the pin on the arm comes incontact, whereby it is stopped, and a second pin with which the pin onthe arm comes in contact when released from the first pin, anormally-open electric circuit, a circuitcloser, and a magnet in saidcircuit for moving the lever when the circuit is closed to cause itspins to release the arm, substantially as described.

8. In a station-indicator, the shaft B for operatin g theindicatingmechanism and a spring, 0, tending to turn it in onedirection, in combination with an arm rotated by the shaft and having afixed pin, a pivoted lever having fixed pins with which the pin on thearm comes successively in contact, a spring for holding the lever inposition, the armature on the lover, a normally-open electric circuit, acircuit-closer, and an electro-magnet, and said circuit, substantiallyas described.

4'. In a station-indicator, the shaft 13 for operating the indicatingmechanism and the spring tending to turn it in one direction, incombination with the arm rotated by the shaft and having a fixed pin,the pivoted leverhaving the fixed pins with which the pin on the armsuccessively comes in contact, a normally-open electric circuit havingan electromagnet by which the lever is moved to release the arm, and thecircuit-closer consisting of a pivoted arm, L, suspended from the carand adapted toeome in contact with a fixed obstruction in the roadway,and a contact-piece which the arm is forced to touch, said arm andcontact-piece being in the electric circuit, substantially as described.

5. In a station-indicator, the shaft B, by which the indicatingmechanism is operated, the spring 0, tending to turn it in onedirection, the shaft F, having an arm, G, with the fixed pin and gearingbetween the shaft B and the said shaft F, whereby the arm is rotated, incombination with the pivoted springcontrolled lever H, having thestop-pins h h", a normally-open electric circuit, and a magnet in saidcircuit for swinging the lever to release the arm and the swinging armunder the car, and opposing contact-piece for closing the circuit,substantially as described.

6. In a station -indicator, the shaft B, by which the indicatingmechanism is operated, and a spring, G, tending to turn it in onedirection, in combination with the means for automatically condensingthe spring, consisting of the ratchet loose on the shaft and conncctedwith one end of the spring, the lever pivoted on said shaft and havingthe pawl engaging the ratchet, the arm L under the ear adapted to comein contact with the fixed obstruction in the roadway, whereby it ismoved, and cords connecting the said arm L with the lever on the shaft,whereby the ratchet is moved to wind the spring, substantially asdescribed.

7. In a station'imlicator, the shaft B, by which the indicatingmechanism is operated, and a spring, 0, tending to turn it in onedirection, in combination with the mechanism for automaticallycondensing the spring, consisting of a ratchet loosely mounted on theshaft and connected with one end of the spring, the lever pivoted 011the shaft and having the pawl engaging the ratchet, the spring forcontrolling the lever, the swinging arm L under the car and adapted tocome in contact with a fixed obstruction in the roadway, whereby it ismoved, the intervening spring-drum, and the cords connected with saiddrum and with the lever and arm, respectively, substantially asdescribed.

8. In a station-imlicator, the mechanism for IIO operating theindicating device, consisting of the combination of the rotary shaft B,having a spring, 0, tending to turn it one direction, the arm G, rotatedby the shaft and having a fixed pin, the pivotedspring-controlled leverH, having fixed stop-pins h h" and an armature, the normally-openelectric circuit having a magnet for swinging the lever H, the swingingarm L under the car and adapted to come in contact with a fixedobstruction in the roadway, the contact-piece M, which the arm L touchesto close the circuit, the pivoted ratchet connected with thepower-spring O for con- (lensing it, the pivoted lever 0, having a pawlfor operating the ratchet, the spring-controlled r 5 drum Q, and thecords connecting said drum with the lever O and arm L, substantially asdescribed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JASON I. IRVING.

Witnesses:

S. H. N OURSE, H. 0. LEE.

